Voices Lost Between the Frames: On Island in Between

Written by I-Lin Liu. This article provides a critical analysis of the Oscar-nominated short documentary Island in Between, asking who the film is for and what lies beyond the representations. The author traces the history of when and how nonfiction films became a medium for intercultural communication, which resonates with the director’s experiences and goals for the film. Despite the film’s deliberate distance from forms of government-produced propaganda, connections can still be seen, particularly that government-sponsored or produced films, in fact, dwindled from the Best Documentary Short Film category decades after its establishment. In addition, the depiction of Kinmanese in the film, in conversation with national identities and boundaries, remains contested through the director’s lens.

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Island in Between: An Eternal Frontier? 

Written by Chee-Hann Wu. This article argues that the Oscar-nominated short documentary Island in Between highlights the liminality and in-betweenness of both the island of Kinmen and the director’s diasporic identity. Rather than emphasizing its geopolitical significance and constant military presence, the short documentary focuses on the director’s personal journey and narrative, growing up in both Taiwan and the US, moving back to Taiwan in 2017, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, being drawn to Kinmen where his father served in the military. Through the director, the audience sees how he re-experiences Kinmen as a way to reconnect with a part of his identity, and is also able to reimagine Kinmen’s past and present.

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The Howitzer Drill Demonstration in Kinmen 

Written by An-Ru Chu. This article explores the performative nature of the cannon drill demonstration at the Shishan (Mt. Lion) Howitzer Front, a popular tourist attraction in Kinmen, in conversation with Island in Between. Unlike the drill or military-related actions performed at other sites, the cannon drill at Kinmen is unique in that it is not performed by soldiers, but exclusively by performers. In addition, the multilayered identities of the performers further complicate people’s engagement with a contested land like Kinmen. The author traces the history of such a performance and argues its linearity in conversation with Kinmen’s Cold War memories.

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Clientelism, Social Movements, and Weak Ideology: Is Institutionalisation in Taiwan’s DPP Comparable with the Philippines’ Liberal Party?

Written by Russell Sherrard-Smith. This article compares Taiwan’s DPP with the Liberal Party of the Philippines, focusing on party institutionalisation and how it contributes to our understanding of the quality of democracy. The author looks at the two parties’ systemness, centralisation, leadership stability and other factors that significantly influence the countries’ democratic development.

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Toward Antiracist Taiwan: A Short Fieldnote in Studying Racism through Punk and Metal Musical Performances by Indonesian Migrant Workers 

Written by Mark Hsiang-Yu Feng. Drawing on field notes on punk and metal musical performances by Indonesian migrant workers in Taiwan, this article reveals racism and stereotypes in the music scene. The author calls for a critical examination of multiculturalism to address the structural inequality and racial hierarchy in Taiwanese society.

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Challenging the Myth of Intercultural Competence: Encounters between the “New Second Generation” and a Philippine Studies Scholar in Taiwan 

Written by Yi-Yu Lai. In the name of promoting multiculturalism in Taiwan, the new second generation is anticipated to utilise their intercultural ability to serve as a bridge between Taiwan and Southeast Asia. This article highlights that the assumption has caused increased anxiety among the new second generation if they are unable to prove their competence. It has also erased the internal disparities and the actual daily experiences of the individuals, making the historical injustice and their own agendas invisible.

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Indigenous Language Education in Taiwan: From Language Preservation to Community-Based Learning 

Written by Yang-Hsun Hou, Nikal Kabala’an (a.k.a. Margaret Yun-Pu Tu), and Huiyu Lin. As the Taiwan government has been pushing efforts for Indigenous Language Revitalization and Reclamation, this article highlights the importance of transitioning from government-led preservation to community-based, Indigenous-led education approaches, ensuring that culturally sustaining practices are truly integrated into Indigenous language teaching and learning.  

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Is Integrating Possible? Towards weaving knowledges to transform care

Written by Wasiq Silan. This article critiques the superficial integration of Indigenous perspectives within Taiwan’s multiculturalist policy framework, arguing for a transformative approach that prioritises Indigenous knowledge systems in long-term care policies. Highlighting the idea of “weaving knowledge,” it seeks to recentre Indigenous onto epistemologies and challenge the deep-rooted colonial present.

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Decolonisation of Multicultural Taiwan

Written by Yulia Nesterova. Although Taiwan has made remarkable progress in transforming into a flourishing multicultural democracy over the past three decades, it still faces challenges in fully decolonising its multicultural vision. Focusing on education policies, this article highlights the need for further actions to address historical injustices and reconciliation.

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